This accounts practical parenthood of a blogger extraordinaire; amateur photographer and mom-in-progress. I write about being a Mum.

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Hello out there! Wow, it feels like it has been AGES since my last post! So let’s kick off the term with a look at what we have been up to in the recent months. My daughter is now in First Grade, we’ve move in to our new house and I’ve been busy with a new lifestyle. Fast forward from my last post, we were in Kindergarten. School life has been a roller coaster ride from there, in a good way.

Wake me up when September ends… because little M’s 6th birthday is fast approaching!

Yes! I have so many to talk about but let me start with a summary of how our Kindergarten days went. First, we’re in the honor roll and later on I discovered our daughter’s love for art.

I first noticed her emotional connection to art when she was 3. While all I can draw when I was her age are stick people, hers are way better even compared to other kids. I see how her eyes smile so bright when she talks about her drawings and watercolor paintings.

Soon, drawing became everything. Notebook after notebook, her doodles are everywhere. She drew during meals, during travels, before bedtime, after classes, in the park, in school. I make sure that I have a pencil and paper handy at all times. She made little art books for me and friends, created special occasion cards, comics with stories she just made up or imagined, and even gave her classmates her drawings. Her imaginations were too big not to be expressed, and drawing helped her. She would ask permission that after she studies she will draw. Whenever weekend comes, she would plan her day, not watching movies but include drawing and play in it. Below are her artwork when she was 4. I try to keep all of them.

She likes to paint using water color and create many things using clay or Play-doh. Some of them are mermaids, sharks, rocks, human figures, princess, castles, and many more.

I want to be the mother who supports and encourages her passion and talent to pursue her dreams. I buy her drawing books, clay, water color, bond papers, crayons to show my support.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”-Pablo Picasso

Finally, getting an NBI Clearance is easier for us who’re coming from the southern part of Cebu.

GREAT NEWS! They now have an NBI Satellite Clearance Center stationed in Naga City, Cebu.

Here’s a brief background of Naga:

Naga City, nicknamed The Industrial Hub of Southern Cebu[1] (credits to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naga,_Cebu) is home to huge cement manufacturing companies like Taiheiyo and Apo Cement Philippines, and not to mention, power plants. It is situated right next to San Fernando, if you’re coming from the Carcar City, Argao or Alcoy.

The process of getting an NBI clearance has improved over time. Aside from avoiding the long queue and going to the main NBI agency in Escario in Cebu City, one can save time with a few extra bucks on top of the P115 processing fee.

BEFORE, here are the 6 STEPS (not to mention the ridiculous queue starting 4AM or even earlier):

Select NEW if it’s your first time and if your last clearance was between 2014-2015.

In my case, we were renewing. My clearance expired February 9 of this year. I selected RENEW. After that, the image below shows up asking for my NBI ID Number.

Where can you find the NBI ID NUMBER? See below sample:

RENEWING APPLICANT window shows next. See below:

Provide accurate information since the details are necessary for your application.

Note the encircled reminder. It says (Enter valid email only. Confirmation is required.) Put in your email and password of your choice. REMEMBER your password. You’d need it to log in to your own NBI profile.

Tick on I ACCEPT TERMS OF SERVICE and click AGREE on the pop-up. Then, click SIGN IN.

I opened my email and I clicked ACTIVATE ACCOUNT for me to confirm my registration.

I logged on using the credentials I created. We’ll go right back to this page.

Once logged on, click APPLY FOR CLEARANCE. You can see that on the right pane. Confirmation page will pop up.

**Note: Bring the document for verification.

In my case, I used my SSS/ UMID as my valid verification ID. I’m still going to use the same. Unless you want to present another ID, provide the ID number.

Below page will show up. READ carefully as it is an important reminder. You’d need to present a REGISTRATION code or reference number after choosing the payment option.

See below completely fill out form. Naga City- Cebu Branch is nearest me, so I chose it. Click on the drop-down arrow or type your city/province and you’ll find the different NBI Branches that there are in your area.

Select your appointment schedule when you’d pick up the clearance or have it delivered by clicking any of those small blue rectangles. I chose March 17. It will reflect on the right portion as a summary of your selection.

Select your payment option. I selected BAYAD CENTER for convenience. LBC and other Bayad Centers, like mushrooms, are everywhere where I live. See below for other payment options.

After your select your payment, Payment Confirmation page will show up next.

Read another few reminders.Below shows you a breakdown of the fees. There’s a P25 e-payment service charge on top of the P115. (REMEMBER: local employment only, other particulars may differ) Then, PROCEED.

Proceed to PAYMENT.

Take note of the Reference Number. Therefore, I will pay LBC/ Bayad Center P140 (P115+ P25)

You can do all of that ONLINE.

**On our first visit, there was an internet café nearby. One guy is making additional income by doing the registration himself. He lets you write your details on a piece of paper. He asks for P25 per customer. Then, he gives you your registration code.You may do it on your own and avoid the outrageous fee. Completely fill out the online form and be mindful of the dates you provide, especially your date of birth and email address. A confirmation message will be sent to your email. Once done, click SUBMIT. Take note of the registration code.

Present the valid ID that matches to the one in your NBI Profile for verification and the registration code/reference number.

The guard-on-duty will let you stand in line and direct you to which window to present the valid ID and code. I suggest you bring 2 government issued IDs.

For over-the-counter payments, pay the cashier of the processing fee upon presenting your valid ID and registration code. As far as I know, in the last 10 years I’ve been employed locally, the fee hasn’t changed.

The processing fee is 115 pesos. However, applying for clearance online and chosing other payment channels, there’s an extra service charge. Therefore, I have to pay P140. Nevertheless, I avoided the queue and saved time and effort.

Here’s a list of IDs you can present:

SSS ID/ UMID

Voter’s ID

Postal ID

TIN ID

Driver’s License

Valid passport

GSIS UMID

PRC License

School ID

Philhealth ID

Alien Certification of Registration

Senior Citizen ID

One payment is done, you will be asked to wait for your photo to be taken.

2.Photo and Fingerprint Scanning
3. Clearance printing

‘NO HIT’ means you can get your NBI Clearance right away at the window right outside the station. Wait for your name to be called.

Applicants that are ‘HIT’ will be asked to come back after a week to claim their clearance. The clerk will provide you a receipt and a number to contact.

I got mine on the spot. As for my brother, he got ‘HIT’ so he needed to wait for a week. He did get his after a week. His NBI clearance was needed for his passport application.

It’s Friday once again or should I say, a Friday that was. We’ve been quite busy at home so although we did the craft on a Friday, I only have the time to compose and post this one today.

Time for arts and crafts, Mommies!

Have you ever wonder what activities you and your kids can do together? Try doing arts together. Kids love the cutting and tearing. Remember, always practice caution.

Today, we’ll learn how to make PAPER BUTTERFLIES.

As a kid, I loved singing B-U-T-T-E-R-F-L-Y , Butterfly (sing it 3 times)! The other mommies might be able to relate to the Butterfly song. I’m always fascinated with butterflies and how colourful butterflies are. So is my now 4-year old Little Kheila. That’s why we’d like to feature paper butterflies making in today’s blog.

Hooray! Good news to the people of Barangay Maharlika and especially to Stay-At-Home Moms like me, there’s a newly-opened Fitness Gym adjacent to the tennis court and near Maharlika Day Care Center. What’s the BEST thing about it? It’s OPEN TO EVERYONE. I can definitely add this as another reason why I want to live in this place long enough- FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD and OPEN GYM. Not that I’m an avid gym goer or health buff however, this goes to show that the barangay officials do put efforts in bringing people together in this small community. Also, not to mention remind people to stay fit through exercise.

This collaboration of efforts makes this community a better place. The teenagers are given the opportunity to showcase their talents through Free Basketball Clinic, friendly basketball matches and even Fun Run for a cause. This sports facility has a storage room for sports equipments and an area designated for throwing some darts. In addition, I see it as a good diversion for the younger generation. Better to lift some weights instead of spend hours sitting in front of their computers or do not-so-good things harmful to society and one’s well-being.

I’m an MDCC parent, who sits and waits for my daughter for an hour or so, doing some twists and lift a few pounds while waiting can do wonders. Not just kill time but it’s good for blood circulation and can be a good routine if you got nothing else to do or if you’ve finished your chores at home.

This project encourages young individuals and everyone in the community to engage in sports and keep a healthy lifestyle. We all want to see our kids excel. Sports can help them build self-confidence and self-worth. Parents should take responsibility by encouraging our children to get involved in sports and not just excel academically.

Through the efforts of Kagawad Ronnie Valdez at ng mga kabataan ng Barangay Maharlika, this Sports Club was materialized. By the way, this is not a paid article. This is merely an acknowledgment of the efforts these people have put forth to make a difference. I don’t know about you but if anything is free it’s worth trying. Aside from getting socially engaged, we can make use of our precious time by improving our health. On our part, what we can contribute is take an extra care in the use of the equipments and keep the gym clean.

For more information on location and time of availability for use, please feel free to visit the Barangay or ask our DCWPG President, MDCC Parent and proactive Leader, Mrs.Yvette Valdez. See below photos taken during the OPENING OF MAHARLIKA SPORTS CENTER AND FITNESS GYM.

It’s been a whirlwind of emotions drowning me for the last month. My father passed away in a tragic death last September 15. It was followed by my uncle’s death in September 23. For days I’ve been in shock and too emotional to even describe in words the state I was in. I tried to pinch myself believing that it was all a nightmare I can awake from. It wasn’t. It was really happening and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Death. It’s a scary thought. But it’s inevitable. We all fade away from the face of the Earth. Eventually that is. However, what happened to my father was caused by someone who has so much hate in his heart. While looking at my father’s death certificate, I cringed at thought of how much suffering he had in the last few minutes before he died. He died of multiple stab wounds. I stared at it and tears started to fall. I was overcome with hatred for the murderer and pity for my Papa. No one was there to help him. My hero who I thought could always get away with anything was mercilessly taken from us. We cry for JUSTICE. To the man who killed my father, Carlo Adan Sy, may you find peace in your heart and surrender and pay for your sins. No one has the right to take away a life, no matter what your reasons are. I leave you to God to judge.

In my thoughts, as tears damped my face, I asked for forgiveness from my Papa Eddieboy. I had my shortcomings as a daughter and may have failed him in so many ways. I’m so caught up with having a family of my own that I have forgotten to even call him up just to ask how he is. For that I am so regretful. Let this serve as a lesson for anyone reading this. Let us value the people around us for we’ll never know when they’ll be taken from us. I also thanked Papa Boy for coming to my birthday last December 2014. Although, it was a surprise and there was only a simple salu-salo, I showed him appreciation. Days after Christmas and New Year, we went to a mountain resort to celebrate togetherness. Those were the few moments we had as a family. As a whole. Those were the last moments we had him with us.

During his wake, we were overwhelmed with the love, support and thoughtfulness of people who went out of their ways to bid him goodbye. Thank you so much to everyone.

Wherever you are now Papa Boy, I hope you are now at peace with our Maker. People may not understand it and may have judged us in many ways. We are not answerable to anyone of them. I thank you for bringing us to this world. Our family was not perfect but we had moments in our lives where we were truly happy and grateful. Thank you, Papa Boy. You’re forever gone but never forgotten.

Fascinated with elephants, my little Mikheila wanted us to make paper elephants.

While cutting out paper bands to make into an elephant parts, we make it a fun experience by identifying the parts first and making elephant sounds.

It’s very easy for your preschooler’s little hands.

Materials needed:

Construction paper – 1 to 2 pieces of different colors

Glue stick

Scissors

Here are 7 steps of how to make a paper elephant:

Cut out paper into 4 squares and make 4 cylinders for the elephant legs. Stick them together using a glue stick. Your preschooler can help glue them together. It’s OK to make a mess.

For the body, cut a paper into a rectangular shape proportion to the legs. Stick them to each side of legs forming a semi-circle.

Make a bigger cylinder for the head proportion to the body size.

Cut out 2 circles for the ears.

Make the eyes out of 4 small circles.

Make the elephant trunk out of a long rectangular paper sticking out in front of the eyes. (Use the scissors edge to curl the trunk) Please practice caution. Glue another long rectangular paper for the tail.

Cut out semi-circles for the elephant’s toes.

Let your preschooler choose what paper color to use. You can use one color or a combination of two or more to make it more attractive to kids. For our first paper elephant, we used two colors: yellow green and rose.

Reminder: What’s important is the process, not the outcome. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

She gets so amazed and repeats the words I introduce to her. Do not force your kids to say the words. Make learning fun. Act silly with them. Release that inner child in you. I did and it’s one way to relieve stress. They’ll love it if you imitate animal sounds with them!

I’m glad I started writing again. I write not to impress but to express. Taking account of mundane life events keeps me grounded, reminds me of the blessings that came into our family’s life. We should learn to stop and look around us and notice even the smallest of things we should be grateful for. While taking a stroll in the neighbourhood, it gave me a sense of satisfaction and invigoration as I ponder on life’s small miracles. God has worked his way into my life and has taken me into a different direction. Therefore, when his plans were clearer to me now, I asked him to take the wheel and his will be done. Writing is something I’m giving back to inspire people. Sometimes we just have to let go. Life will unfold on its own. Those things stressing us now, down the road we will realize that they are not what really matter most in life.

Here are my 5 Benefits of Taking a Stroll:

A good amount of fresh air will be healthy for your lungs.

Dry air may circulate your home. Spending days and nights like a locked-up prisoner in the confines of your beautiful home is definitely not healthy. Take some sun time and take in some fresh air. These are free commodities we should appreciate more. As for me and my little tot, we get our daily dose of Vitamin D from the harmless sun exposure between 7 AM to 9 AM. (Know more about the benefits of Vitamin D at Sunshine Vitamin). We usually wake up at 8 in the morning. After breakfast, we bask in the sun for 10-15 minutes. Have you ever realize why that flu virus hits you every time it comes around even if you are taking your expensive vitamins daily? A good amount of fresh air will help you exercise your lungs and brings in oxygen good for blood circulation.

For people who are young at heart, being mobile might tire you easily. It won’t be a problem. Breathing exercises outside your garden will do. Small steps or slow walk in your garden or in place will do wonders too.

It’s cost efficient.

You don’t need to pay monthly dues like your gym. It will save you money that you pay for transportation for your trips to the gym or the food you buy from 7 eleven. After good workout, you will get thirsty or hungry or both. When exhausted we tend to buy ready-to-eat food rather than cook.

This low-impact physical activity can save you money and it’s fun to do with someone close to your heart.

Build friendship and strengthen relationships

You can take anyone with you for a stroll. He may be a family member, your husband/wife, son/daughter, a friend, or next-door neighbour. You may arrange a play date with your neighbour’s son/ daughter to take a stroll. Build a friendship to that parent at school you barely have the time to even talk to while attending to each of your kids. Make sure to engage in a conversation. A good conversation is defined as an exchange of messages. It shouldn’t be a one-way thing. Take time to listen, ask questions and share stories.

I suggest you leave gadgets at home. Sometimes it can be a distraction to an opportunity to have meaningful conversations. You get tempted to check your phone from time to time if you put it in your pocket. I sometimes take my phone with me for emergency purposes and to take selfies. Like any typical Mom, my daughter is almost always my subject when taking photographs. Being a Mom, I feel that time flies fast and photographs capture moments and life events. Remember, time lost is lost forever. We can’t put life on pause or go on rewind. Thinking I can’t take back time so I just click away. If you are guilty of all that too, then you are a Mom. As much as possible, when we’re out and about I take extra care and vigilance especially that I’m with my daughter. Never take your eyes off her, that’s what my partner always say. The streets have vehicles passing by and stray dogs. It’s important to be wary all the times.

This physical activity is also a way to strengthen romantic relationships with your partner. Consider it a date. Sometimes, ditch the need to spend for an extravagant dinner for two just to make each other feel special. We can make them feel special by holding hands while walking and engaging in a healthy conversation.

It’s a way to distress.

Life nowadays is very fast-paced. We need a way to reduce stress. We cannot alleviate stress totally. However, strolling can help us reduce stress which is beneficial to our well-being. It improves our physical and psychological health.

When you’re trying to make a conscious effort to be physically fit without forcing yourself, strolling is very pleasurable. My daughter looks forward to it every time. These days, I use it as a reward for myself after a gruelling day. With my three- year old in tow, we sight-see beautiful homes, familiarize the street names, know the names of trees we see as we go along, say hello to that purring cat by the fence and say hi to random kids playing on the streets of the subdivision.

Knowing that I’m sweating from the physical exertion of having to walk as far as we can go and back, makes me distress. It makes me aware of the lifestyle I’m leading and therefore reminding me not to live a sedentary life. I like to impart to my daughter and future kids that staying healthy is OK. I may not be the Jennifer Lopez-type of bod nor the FHM-goddess type but it’s important that you maintain that wanting look from your partner as he comes home from work. Physical intimacy is as important as having to brush your teeth every after meal. It’s a need to keep the relationship going.

Have a good night sleep.

Are you the type who struggles sleeping at night? Take my advice. Physical exertion you’d do taking a walk, walking your dog or walking to the store instead of driving is a good way to get a sound sleep at night. As a Mom, from waking up in the morning until the wee hours at night, there’s always something that we need to do. It just doesn’t stop. Time management is the key. I remind myself that there’s no such thing as busy. There’s just the proper way of managing your time for us to give time for more important things. Therefore, we owe it to ourselves to have enough sleep.

Sleeplessness creates a mood that can cause tension in the house. It can lead to irritability and forgetfulness. You might end up having an unproductive day since you’d be too sleepy. I used to stay up late ironing clothes, folding and arranging, washing and cleaning. It doesn’t fit in one day. Multi-tasking can also help but it may not work all the time. I burnt the rice while I was away washing the dishes. That’s not good. Moms, let’s manage our time wisely.

Having done so, I can now spend a few minutes to an hour taking a stroll and get 7- 8 hours of sleep. Since I’ve done the chores during the day, me and my preschooler will have time for a nap in the afternoon. After sweating it out, I’ll have a sound sleep all through the night. It’s not hard to put the kiddo to sleep too. Happy Mom!

Would you like to share some other benefits you can think of? Please feel free to post your comments below. I’d love to hear how you spend quality time with your family, stay fit or just kill the time. Put your comfortable walking shoes on and start strutting your way around town!

At home, I declared that our Fridays be dedicated to 30 minutes to an hour making paper crafts. It started when we had to stay indoors for 3 days due to heavy downpour and strong gust of winds caused by a typhoon. Instead of the usual playtime building wooden blocks or coloring books, I’ve introduced paper crafts — paper cutting, folding and sticking. She loves animals! Therefore, the first crafts will be all about animals.

Why paper crafts? It’s inexpensive. This can become a hobby and you don’t have to spend a lot to have fun. I bought one set with 10 pieces of construction papers. It’s thicker than bondpapers and comes in different colors. We needn’t buy since we have Elmer’s glue. Unfortunately, we ran out after making 3 paper crocodiles.

First paper crocodile

Daddy got our little one a non-toxic glue stick. It’s easy to grip due to its pen-like handle unlike Elmer’s glue that’s quite messy. Small hands can’t squeeze as hard as adults. I recommend you use a “Stick-ee”.

Our first project was a paper crocodile. Your child can help you stick some parts together. My little one learned about new colors and identified parts of a crocodiles body.

Crafts will give you an opportunity to teach your child new words. My Mikheila learned new words like sharp, reptile, devour and glue.

This activity can help enhance your child’s hand-eye coordination. My Mikheila insists on making the croc eyes and sticking them. Allowing her to take control will boost her confidence. Don’t forget to praise them for a job well done.

I also noticed her pencil grip has improved. She learned to copy drawings as simple as zigzag lines for the teeth and curves for the eyes. Encourage her that she CAN DO IT. Don’t doubt your child but don’t be too pushy. Guide her hand and then let go. At first, my Mikheila was hesitant copying the eyes saying, “Mommy, I can’t. I can’t do it. ” I told her, “Yes, you CAN! I know you CAN.” Once she’s done it, I exclaimed, “You did it!” And, she was all smiles and proud of herself. We sealed it with a high-five!

Cut the paper in 8 equal parts. (crosswise)Cut 5 pieces in to halves making 10 smaller parts for the chain (crocodile’s body.Stick the paper not cut in half for the tail. Cut into triangle-like tail.The crocodile tail should look like this.One-eight of the paper should be for the eyes and cut into semi-circle superfluous.Croc’s eyes look a bit like squinting ready to hunt its prey.Small hands stick the eyes to the head.

Focus on the process rather than the outcome. Make it enjoyable for you and your little one. Practice caution at all times. Supervise your child when using scissors and glue. Or, if yours is below 5 years old, keep scissors away. Cut paper or pictures out for them. You may show them simply how to tear off pieces of paper.

Next project will be paper elephants! Enjoy your craft time! There are lots of sources over the internet or try Pinterest and Youtube. Post a comment below and share where else to find craft recipes and easy DIY instructions.

I always say that parenting is a learning process. I’m raising my first child and at first you need all the help you can get from your parents or relatives. I’d like to share about positive ways to help nurture your preschooler. I’m no expert. There’s no standard recipe of good parenting. Love dictates us to do what’s right for our children. I live by the values my parents taught me growing up. It has helped me now that I’m a parent and I want to impart them to my daughter and my future kids.

Nurture your child’s love of books.

Read to her whenever you can before bedtime or naptime. Take her to the bookstore or library. Growing up with two younger brothers, I can still recall how fun it was when my mother was telling or reading us stories. My mum would even make up her own stories. Oh, how I loved Hansel and Gretel! This time, I tell my Mikheila stories where she’s the main character or even part of the story. You can make believe. I let her choose the color she likes for the princess gown or the glass slipper. Encourage her to tell stories with you. When reading Cinderella to her, I mimic the voices of the characters. Reading out loud will help our kids learn new words and how to pronounce them.

Books! Books! Books!

Let your child help with the household chores.

See how their faces brighten up when you ask them for help on small chores. Remember, safety should be a first priority. Whenever I make pancakes, she wants to help me mix the batter. I make sure that she’s not standing on a stool while mixing. Avoid accidents. She’s seated on a chair while she stirs away.

Kids love to take their toys out and play. Teach kids to clean after themselves. Make sure to ask them to keep their toys once they’re done playing. Next thing you know, you don’t have to remind them.

Encourage your child to play with other children.

Teach them the value of sharing and friendship. Being around other kids will let them discover that to get around you have to build friendship even if it means sharing your favorite toy. At first, our only child was very assertive. Take note, not shy. Being an only child, she likes to be the center of attention. Show her that it’s okay to say hi or hello. That’s right. Let’s lead by example. Say good morning or simply say hi to your neighbours.

There were small fights and crying over toys. Now, she gets by with other children. Although at times, she still likes to be the leader. I take her to the Day Care and she spends 2 hours a day learning with other kids. Once or twice a week, I find opportunities for her to have some sun time and interact with the neighbours’ kids.

Help your child develop good language skills.

Speaking to her in complete sentences and using “grown up” words will enhance their self expression and diction. Help her to use the correct words and phrases. Make sure to correct her right away when she happens to jumble her words or uses incorrect grammar.

Our household is multilingual. We speak 3 languages in the house. I come from the South so I have the ability to speak in Cebuano (spoken language in Cebu). My partner is from Cavite. His native tongue is Filipino or Tagalog (spoken language in Manila). What’s often used at home is the English language. Just lately, we talk to her in Tagalog. When she was younger, we fear that she might not learn to speak due language confusion. Her “default” language is English. When she started joining kids at a nearby day care center, she has to adjust since Tagalog is taught and used along with English.

Thanks to MDCC, she now learns to interact with other kids and improve her Tagalog.

Let your child make a choice.

Let her decide what to wear, what to eat for snack, when to play, etc. Provide choices to your child. Letting her wear what she likes shows that you respect her opinion. Most 3 to 4-year olds are assertive and wants a grasp on control. It doesn’t have to be a daily struggle between you two. Let them decide on their own but with proper guidance. Teach them what’s appropriate and explain to them what’s healthy and good for them. Explain what you expect from them. Remember not to underestimate your child’s capacity to understand. Avoid saying No, Stop, Don’t, Bad, etc. You may use words like not good, and whenever you say no follow it up with what she should be doing instead. That way, she’s able to think for herself and make a choice.

She loves cupcakes!

She loves crayons!

Do you have tips or stories you’d like to share about parenting? We all have different ways of raising our kids. I’d love to hear yours. Post a comment below.